Silence Is Golden
by Myosotis13
Summary: Not telling might be torture for Teal'c, and not knowing might be endlessly frustrating for the rest of SG1. But if they found out, the future could be irreversibly changed...maybe even the things that were meant to happen. SPOILERS for 'Unending'.DV
1. Prologue

**A/N: One: don't read this story if you haven't seen "Unending" and don't want to be spoiled!  
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**Two: I can think of at least a thousand reasons for Teal'c to lock Vala and Daniel in a dark room (for three months, if necessary!) and play Cupid...but we all know he won't do it, so, as he's (much) older and wiser, let's see one possible reason why!**

**(two and a half: I know I have an ongoing story, and I wouldn't abandon it in a thousand years...but "Unending" understandably changed my focus a little) **

** Three: This story contains spoilers! Oh, did I say that before? I'll just shut up now...**

**Silence Is Golden**

**-Prologue-  
**

The ground shook beneath them again, and one of the framed maps on the wall crashed to the floor.

"Whose idea was it to play with the Asgard gadgets again?" Mitchell muttered, just as the lights in the briefing room flickered and the red alert alone shone for one second.

"Implementing their technology into SGC computers is the natural next step," Daniel replied, feeling that he was pointing out the obvious.

"Yeah, if you do it right…" the colonel retorted, his tone light enough to make it clear he was going for humor rather than any kind of accusation. The sound of a small explosion reached them through the open door, followed by thin wisps of smoke. "Sam, are you sure you can't figure a way to make their toys and ours play nice?"

"Not in two days, I can't…"

"Which is…what, again?" Vala asked in a falsely casual tone. "The time we have before the mountain comes crashing down on us?"

"With the Asgard matter conversion equipment trying to emulate the phase technology on our base… pretty much. It's affecting the electromagnetic and gravitational fields on a small perimeter around the base, causing the landslides, earthquakes and storms…"

"So the mountain is going to _slide_ and _rain_ down on us…" the brunette commented.

"Sam, you told me you suspected something like this might happen before beginning to adapt the Asgard knowledge to our systems…"

"That's precisely it, Daniel, I did!" Sam explained with an edge of frustration to her tone. "I mean, obviously, two levels of technology so different would not interact smoothly! That's why I stayed away from the matter conversion database, or anything else that was simply too advanced for our system…but I didn't realize that the Asgard systems are so integrated! When I accessed _one_ component through our computers, my link was automatically replicated and rerouted to _all_ the others!"

"Can't you shut it down?" Mitchell suggested, half-knowing things were never that easy. Surprisingly, it was not Sam who answered his question.

"The central power source of the Asgard core was not designed to be shut down."

It was then that the connection clicked for all of them simultaneously, and four pairs of eyes fixed Teal'c with curious gazes.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

"I do not believe that to be a good idea…Colonel Carter."

"I know, Teal'c…I don't really like it either, but none of us can think of a better alternative."

"_I_ like it," Vala piped in.

"What if you find out that…a flowerpot fell down and _killed_ you?"

"Then I'll feel twice as lucky that we never got stuck on the Odyssey in the first place!"

Mitchell rolled his eyes and abandoned the topic, turning back to the Jaffa.

"Look, Teal'c…we don't want to create a precedent either…but if Sam faced this problem on the Odyssey and it took her _weeks_ to figure it out…this whole base will be buried under tons of dirt in two days."

"I am aware of the situation, Colonel Mitchell," the Jaffa assured him, "and were I to know the solution, I would readily share it."

"I know you don't remember exactly, Teal'c...but...we probably had regular meetings for me to update everyone on my progress with eliminating the…" Sam struggled to find the right words.

"Bumps in the road to Asgard technology," Mitchell provided, and she nodded, with a small smile.

"We could use the memory device to watch the last of those meetings…" she suggested, giving Teal'c a half-hopeful, half-apologetic look. She could understand the ambivalence of the Jaffa; finally, her empathy for his unfortunate situation won over her desire to find a quick solution. "No…I guess you're right, Teal'c. We need to go through the learning process ourselves. There's so much that could have happened on the Odyssey in that period that we might encounter again…if we ask you to do this now, who's to say we won't do it again next time there's a problem with the Asgard core. It might be better on short-term but we'd come to regret it eventually."

Everyone else nodded in agreement, and even Vala, though making a great show of showing her disappointment, gave him an understanding nod. Teal'c fixed the four of them with a thoughtful gaze.

"I am most relieved to hear that," he eventually spoke. "I did not doubt that you would understand my position in…adverse circumstances such as these." Daniel opened his mouth, presumably for further reassuring, but Teal'c continued before the archaeologist could get a word out. "However, I have carefully analyzed the situation, and I believe this set of conditions can not repeat itself."

"You mean Sam had no other problems with the technology in _fifty__years_?" Mitchell asked incredulously, then caught himself. "Right, that'd be telling, wouldn't it."

"Indeed. Most of Colonel Carter's meetings referred to the issues contained on the crystal I have already presented her with."

"Teal'c…I'm still not convinced…the memory device isn't always quick and efficient…we could still see things we're not supposed to see."

"That is a risk we must all take."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

"Alright…try to focus precisely on the meetings on that topic," Sam suggested, preparing to activate the memory device.

They had tried to limit the damage to a minimum, asking for a closed-circuit screen and none of the surveillance or reports that usually followed the use of the device, but they had also agreed that the whole of SG1 and general Landry should be present. They now stood around Teal'c, eager and wary at the same time, knowing that they were only going for essential information on the Asgard core, but feeling they were inadvertently opening a window to their future…

"Ready?" Sam asked, and, receiving the Jaffa's nod, entered the initiation sequence; they all directed cautiously curious gazes to the screen.

Teal'c thought back on his years on the Odyssey...and despite his conscious efforts, it was not the intended meetings that came to mind.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx **

**A/N: The prologue is simply meant to create some background, and I am uploading the next part right after this one! Still, if you think it's bad mojo to have no feedback on the very first 'chapter' of a story...you know. Thank you for reading:)! **

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	2. Chapter 1

_"__Ready?" Sam asked, and, receiving the Jaffa's nod, entered the initiation sequence; they all directed cautiously curious gazes to the screen._

_Teal'c thought back on his years on the Odyssey...yet, despite his conscious efforts, it was not the intended meetings that came to mind._

**Chapter I: Ignorance Was Bliss**_  
_

There they were, all together over a rich Christmas table, a tree twinkling behind them, its colorful lights providing a bizarre contrast against the darkness of space outside the window. Joy was written over their faces, as they enjoyed what seemed like a genuine Christmas Eve in a wonderful family.

They knew they should stop watching, but the sight was riveting. Everyone looked the same…it must not have been too long into their life on the Odyssey…perhaps the first year, or maybe the second. And they acted so relaxed, so cheerful, so loving, so carefree. Mitchell couldn't help smirking as he saw himself holding a twig of mistletoe above his head and leaning over the table to give Sam a peck on the lips. He was sure he'd repeat the routing with Vala, and, surely enough, there it was, a few seconds later, the same playful kiss. Taking their eyes off the scene for a moment, the two teammates in question gave him false glares. And they all smiled in amusement and understanding.

Then the smiles changed to perplexity, as the Vala in Teal'c's memory leaned casually into Daniel's arms, reaching up with her hands and pulling him down for a long kiss. They all half-expected to see the archaeologist roll his eyes and laugh it off, but instead he slowly moved a hand to the nape of her neck, deepening the kiss. And when they broke it off, he playfully caressed the tip of her nose, giving her a warm smile, and Vala grinned playfully.

The silence that only seconds before had been filled with a wonderful sense of closeness suddenly became heavy. Cam and Sam exchanged a bemused glance, then looked towards Daniel, who was still staring, wide-eyed, at the screen, and Vala, who watched herself smile happily in the archaeologist's embrace. Her lower lip trembled slightly, and she bit it hard.

"Excuse me," she spoke in a low, icy tone, then turned on her heels and rushed out of room before anyone could say anything.

Daniel stared at the scene for a moment longer, before wordlessly turning, bewilderment still evident on his face, and following her out. Behind them, Mitchell and Sam watched the memory fade just as Landry presented Sam with a small gift in red wrapping, and Daniel playfully placed the Santa hat on Vala's head, pulling it lower over her eyes.

* * *

"Vala, wait." Still marching decidedly down the corridor, she paid no attention to his call, and Daniel felt a pang of irritation. "Vala, would you stop!"

She came to a halt a few steps ahead, back still turned to him, and he actually had to walk around her to bring them face to face. He half-expected a blank expression, a feigned appearance of normality…but instead received a smoldering, narrow-eyed glare and a hostile silence. The heated stance took him aback—what was _that_ all about?

"We, uh…should…probably…mmm…talk…?"

"Oh, don't sound so eager, Daniel," she retorted sarcastically.

"Well, what do you expect? I'm just as…as _shocked_ by…by…but at least _I'm_ willing to discuss it, _I'm_ not the one who stomped out of there like—"

"You know what, Daniel, I _really_ appreciate your being 'willing' to 'discuss', but let me spare you the ordeal. We don't have anything to talk about," she finished coolly, then turned on her heels and started towards her quarters.

"Oh, oh so you're going to just walk away and act insulted, that's _so_ mature, Vala."

She gave no indication of having heard him, but quickened the pace to her room, walking in without a single glance back, and slamming the door. For one second, Daniel was too surprised by her behavior to react, then anger took over. Without hesitation, he marched to her quarters, opened the door and stomped in after her, frustrated and incensed.

"It's always like this with you, isn't it? Just pretend nothing happened, or put up this…this offended front, stomp to your room like an absurd teenager, well you know what, Vala, I think you should have outgrown this attitude by now!"

Inhaling deeply, she turned to face him, mirroring his heated expression. However, when she spoke, her tone was forcedly calm.

"What do you want from me, Daniel?"

"What do _I_ want?" He shook his head in disbelief, then passed a hand through his hair with a nervous laugh. "Funny you should ask that! _I_ am not the one who's been desperately pushing for something to happen, always making ridiculous advances bordering on harassment—"

"Oh, you're absolutely right, I must have _cornered_ you on the Odyssey and _forced_ you to submit to my sexual whims!"

"I did not say that, Vala, don't put words in my mouth!"

"No, honestly, I absolutely agree!" Bitterness had replaced the angry edge in her voice. "I must have really worn you out with my 'ridiculous advances' for you to give in. But don't worry, Daniel, now that we're not confined on the Odyssey, there's enough room to get away from me and my 'harassment'—"

"Stop twisting my words! Please, Vala, you're acting like a spoiled child, we're not getting anywhere like this—"

She'd walked as far away from him as the small room allowed, but his words felt just as sharp as they echoed claustrophobically off the four closed walls. Closing her eyes for one short second, she half-heartedly tried to end the fight, crossing her arms and jadedly asking him:

"Why are you still here, Daniel? I'd say you've made your point quite clearly. And since I'm not longer, _literally_, the _very__last_ woman in this galaxy for you—"

"What? _What_?"

He'd been pacing nervously in the small space between her bed and the door, but her words made him freeze on the spot. He almost laughed at how ridiculous, how _wrong_ she was, and his next phrase was truncated by a barely suppressed snicker.

"Is that what's got you so worked up? You think that's why…you think I could ever…you shouldn't judge me by your own standards! I'd never go into anything like that out of boredom—"

"Oh? But I thought we were just making clear how I'd forced you to give in against your wishes, _surely_ you're not arguing the sheer logic of that, saying it actually _meant_ something—"

"No! I mean…yes…_no_!" He rubbed his temples in exasperation. "It _doesn't_ mean anything to us now—"

"Good, you almost had me worried…"

"_Why_ are you so defensive? Vala, I'm not here to fight with you…I thought you'd _want_ to hear I wasn't making a big deal out of…that…thing…that you'd be relieved…"

"Immensely, Daniel," she deadpanned. Suddenly weary, she perched precariously on the wooden frame at the end of her bed, shaking her head in bewilderment. How had things come to be so…so…_wrong_…between the two of them? She wished they'd just go back to the way they were before. But 'before' was gone, and there was only 'now', and now, there was Daniel, rolling his eyes and giving her a dissatisfied glare.

"Would you drop the sarcasm? Call me overly optimistic, but I just wanted us to _talk_ like two mature, reasonable people, to make sure we didn't get the wrong idea, but _obviously_ you can't handle an adult conversation!"

"Obviously," she echoed. "And what wrong idea might that be?"

And he swallowed hard as the answer eluded him. From the way they were fighting, she'd _obviously_ gotten the wrong idea. But the rest was tragically unclear to him. And he didn't know how to put _it_. And for one short moment, his mind shouted that they had _both_ gotten the wrong idea, and that the right idea would lead to a wonderful place…but he quickly pushed that thought away.

"You know…that something would…happen…in _that_ sense…"

"Because that would be _so_ ridiculous."

"Oh come on, Vala! Don't use this as a pretext to come across as a victim, because we both know how you stand on the matter of relationships. How many times were you actually driven by something other than boredom or interest? Don't you think acting so serious about all this is a bit out of character for you? Inconsistent with your policy of meaningless gratification?"

Vala never quite knew how it had happened, but before she could stop herself, she felt her body move, and suddenly she was standing right in front of him, staring into his eyes, and they looked so alarmed that she imagined she must appear quite fierce, and then she heard her own voice come out in an icy hiss.

"Get out, Daniel."

He instinctively opened his mouth for a retort, then his heated expression turned to shock as her words registered. Disbelief was written clearly across his features, disbelief at her unreasonable, rude, absurd, insulting…

"Grow _up_, Vala."

Then, with the same disdainful grimace, he turned and walked out.

* * *

**A/N: You didn't think it was going to end up _that _way, right? Where would the rest of my story be then. So, what do you think? How would you see their reactions if they found out in similar circumstances? As always, I would love to hear your thoughts! (...and we all know "Unending" was probably named for the quantity of speculation it generated.)**

** Until next time,**

**Myosotis  
**

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**


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter II: No Pain, No Gain**

The last gift of the Asgard was frustrating as it was monumental. For the hundredth time since he had begun studying the database, Daniel felt completely stumped by the intricacies of their system. Thor's people not only recorded their own history, but also that of every single world they protected; they did not simply chronicle the events, but analyzed them to the minutest detail, tried to establish connections and contrasts, break the history into small pieces while integrating it into the greater context of the galaxy. As an archaeologist, he was used to doing that…but studying one people, one race, one planet from that perspective was one thing. Extrapolating that to dozens of worlds over thousands of years…

…with a gesture more violent that he had intended, Daniel hit a button on his keyboard. The hundreds of Asgard symbols vanished from the screen, and he exhaled loudly, crossly thinking he would grow old and still not get used to the convoluted mindset of Thor's race.

Almost unconsciously, he picked up a random pen from among scattered papers, and started tapping it furiously against the desk. At the rate he was going, he would _never_ learn anything useful from the database! He needed to work faster, more efficiently, more…just plain _more_! But all the information was recorded so elaborately! He felt endlessly frustrated with the Asgard for making their systems so complicated, and with himself for…for…

The small plastic cap on top of his ballpoint jumped right off, and Daniel realized he'd been angrily squeezing the pen. With a hint of chagrin and long sigh, he threw it towards the garbage bin, then took of his glasses, tiredly rubbing the bridge of his nose. He had an inkling the frustrating hindrance was not the Asgard mindset, but his own. For days, he'd been irritated, unfocused and disgruntled for no apparent motive—well, no apparent, reasonable, logical, _possible_ motive, because not in a million years could he be that affected by an immature, absurd, deceitful, immature—

He noticed he had involuntarily grabbed for the temple of his glasses, and was tapping that furiously against the desk. Shaking his head, he forced himself to stop, and slumped his shoulders in defeat. He needed a break, a distraction, _anything_. He set his glasses on a nearby pile of translations, and stood up from the desk.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Fifteen minutes or so later, having put on his training gear, Daniel headed for one of the gyms.

"Jackson, hey, take it easy!"

Turning the corner along one nearly deserted corridor, he'd almost run into Mitchell; the colonel gave him a long look, taking in his training outfit, and Daniel could have sworn he saw the man smirk. Before he could offer any reply, Mitchell spoke again.

"Off to let off some steam?"

"Mmhm," the archaeologist chimed in a slightly less-than-friendly tone.

"Yeah…consider deactivating the fire detectors," the other advised jokingly, then walked away without waiting for an answer.

As he headed down the corridor, Mitchell arched his eyebrows in a half-amused, half-alarmed grimace. Jackson had been virtually radiating frustration, and, since he was just coming from the gym and knew what the archaeologist would find there, Mitchell had a feeling things might go wrong.

On the other hand, the last week had been as bad as they came, with forty percent of his team locked in an awkward avoidance game, not speaking to each other—or to pretty much anyone else for that matter—and more snarky and unreasonable than ever. (and, with the forty percent being Vala and Jackson, _that_ was saying something) Cam had almost been relieved that the General had halted off-world missions until the damage from the earthquakes and landslides had been dealt with, and they were sure the Asgard technology would behave. On the other hand, with Sam working on that round the clock, Teal'c engaged in seemingly endless meditation, and Jackson and Vala…well…

Shaking his head, he admitted he could somewhat understand them. Seeing Teal'c's memory must have shocked them. It had shocked everyone to some degree, but none quite as badly as the two of them—because, eminent scholar and first-class swindler they might have been, but they also gave whole new dimensions to the word 'clueless'. (well, it might have been 'denial' on Jackson's part, really) Still, watching their alternate selves obviously involved had struck down all defenses and pretense, leaving them suddenly exposed, with no warning and no net to cushion their fall. Mitchell wasn't surprised they had reacted so violently, and didn't even want to imagine what they had said to each other…

He only hoped their friendship (for lack of a better, _non_-_inflammatory_ word) would be strong enough to overcome that. Preferably before they both turned ninety.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

Having been too distracted to hear her before entering the spacious exercise room, he was shocked to see her rhythmically hitting one of the training mannequins with a sparring staff. As luck would have it, there was no one else there but her, and he briefly considered turning on his heels and leaving. But then the noise of the staff blows abruptly stopped, and he knew she'd seen him, and was not about to walk out of there like a bashful teenager.

Purposefully, he strode to the rack on one of the walls, and picked up a staff, giving her a defiant glare in the process, which she most readily returned. Daniel immediately felt incensed, and forced himself to calm down. Choosing another training mannequin—half-wishing he could pick it up and move it to the other side of the room, or better yet, the other side of the _galaxy_!—he attacked it forcefully. The staff felt light and almost alive in his hands, as he administered blow after hard blow to the lifeless dummy; in the background, he could hear the steady rattle of her own hits. She was probably having a laugh at his expense right now, although he could find no plausible reason for that idea…that was just her infinitely irritating way. Well, he. _Smash_. Wouldn't. _Thump_. Play her little. _Smash_. _Smash_ Game! _Thump_. _Thump_. _Thump_.

Five minutes later, as his arms and lungs started burning, he vaguely recalled Teal'c's instructions about warming up before a training session. A steady trickle of sweat ran down his temple, and he let go of the staff with one hand for a second, to wipe it away. But his palms were sweaty and slippery, and the weapon slid right out of his grasp, landing on the floor with a loud clank.

And she _laughed_.

It hadn't been long, or particularly loud, but she had unmistakably let out a derisive snort, just loud enough for him to hear. Contemptuous enough for him to be annoyed. And more than enough for him to react.

"I'm sorry, was something funny?"

She gave him a cold look.

"What's the matter, Daniel, your ego can't take a little bruise?"

He let out a sarcastic laugh.

"_You're_ talking about ego? Vala I'm not the one who's behaving like an incensed teenager because she can't take 'no' for an answer! You know what—" he said, louder, as she was about to retort, "let's not start this again. I'm going to go back to the exercise, _if_ you don't mind," he finished with the same caustic tone.

"By all means…it'll be fun watching."

"I'm _so_ glad you finally found something to amuse yourself," he retorted, picking up his staff again, then muttered under his breath, just loud enough for her to hear. "Obviously not your _first_ choice of entertainment, but…"

"_Argh_!!"

Before he fully understood what was happening, she began raining blows on him, and only instinct saved Daniel as he automatically brought up his own weapon, blocking hit after furious hit, at a greater speed than he would have ever trusted her with. For the first seconds, he was too shocked to do anything more than move to block her attacks. Then the deafening noise of their clashing staffs, the fierce expression on her glistening face, the little angry yelps she let out each time she struck, they all brought him out of his daze. The bewilderment written across his features slowly changed to disbelief, then to ire, and finally, just as his jaw set in steady, determined anger, Daniel began to fight back, pushing his own weight against the staff and grimly satisfied each time she retreated even the smallest step.

Then she brought the weapon around in a curt arc, and the padded tip hit him in the small of the back. Her eyes widened slightly, and she wavered for the smallest second, enough for an irate Daniel to recover his footing and strike back angrily, aiming for her solar plexus. She couldn't bring the staff up in time to block the hit, and managed only to divert it so it caught her in the side, causing her to half-spin on the spot, before coming down on him even more furiously then before. Weapons clashing loudly and erratically, they moved constantly, circling each other like two free creatures of the wild trapped in a common cage. Their blows were quick and strong, but sadly uncoordinated, as they crashed repeatedly driven by impulse rather than method, gritting their teeth and glaring daggers at each other every time their faces came within inches of each other above the colliding staffs.

None seem to hold the upper hand for too long, as they recklessly launched against each other, but Daniel's bigger frame and greater physical strength were slowly showing. Then Vala lashed out at him with her leg, and again Daniel was surprised and infuriated by her illegal move, and again his shock caused him to lose the advantage, and she brought her weapon down on him again, slower and with less force, as weariness was catching up with her, but enough to push him back and give her the better position.

And suddenly Daniel spotted an opening in her defense, and pushed blindly forward, and she saw the strike almost in time but not quite, and again his staff caught her in the side, and she stumbled slightly, grabbing onto one of the training mannequins for support. But—_ironically_—her sweaty hand slipped on the leather pole and she slid halfway to the floor, momentarily losing her grip on the staff, and Daniel tried to hit it away from her hand, but she clenched her fingers tight around the wood, wincing as the momentum from his blow turned her hand at an abnormal angle. She desperately tried to swing the staff at his legs, but he blocked it easily, and caught her weapon with his own, yanking hard to jerk it out of her hand. Her grip on it was so tight that the force of his tug actually yanked her upwards, and she stumbled towards him, trying to use the momentum against him as she let go of the staff and recklessly struck out with a hand.

Before he could stop himself, Daniel instinctively brought his staff in a half-arc, forcefully hitting her exposed arm so hard that she let out a strangled cry, and slamming the padded tip against her solar plexus. And even though his conscious mind had almost caught up, significantly alleviating the strike, the force of the blow was still enough to send her flying backwards, and she landed painfully on her back against one of the mattresses.

Fighting for breath, Daniel dropped to his knees beside her, all the anger in his stance suddenly gone, as his eyes sought hers with mortified concern. For the first time since he had set foot inside the training room, he truly looked at her, and even though her cheeks her red with the effort and her brow glistening with sweat, he noticed her face looked slightly drawn, and there were barely visible dark ringlets beneath her eyes.

For a split-second, she just lay on the mattress, breathing heavily, her eyes closed beneath a painful frown, then she registered his ragged breath near her cheek, and met his gaze, and none of the earlier ire stirred within her, but instead there was a strange quiver in the pit of her stomach and a tight knot in his throat…

…and for the first time, Daniel noticed the dampness on her cheeks had nothing to do with sweat, and his lips parted slightly in bewilderment at the discovery, and he saw already dried traces of tears on her skin and wondered how he could have missed them before, and before his mind could stop him, he placed his thumb on one of them and wiped it away with a gentle caress…

…and Vala let out an almost inaudible sound, somewhere between a laugh and a whimper, and she lifted her hand to pass it through his hair, then felt suddenly wary of his reaction, and her hand stopped halfway, wavering between the two of them, as if trying to catch all the unspoken words that lingered in that same space.

He reached for those same words, and his hand touched hers, trapping the silent words in between their slightly shaking palms, and before his mind could put up another barrier of reason or fear or doubt, he leaned down and brushed his lips against hers, tentative until a small sob escaped her and she raised her head to deepen the kiss, at which point there was no more faltering between the two of them.

Ages afterwards, when their lips parted again with something too much like reluctance, Daniel's thoughts raced back to a memory that burned alive in his mind even though it had never really happened. Whatever he had read between the two people in Teal'c's memory had made him jealous and longing, but he could not wrap his mind around a relationship with _her_, of all people. He had always been _so sure_ that she was looking for pure fun, but as he met her gaze again, that certainty evaporated, leaving him on the unfamiliar territory of a Vala actually capable and willing to go beyond the meaningless gratification...and, more shocking yet, a Vala who would do that for _him_.

He had little time to ponder that realization, because somehow they were kissing again, and he wouldn't break it off until he realized they were still in the training room, and even non-military personnel could get in trouble for _that_.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx(THE END…?)xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N: I have to say, in my mind, half of this chapter was different…but when it passed onto (virtual) paper, it suddenly had a will of its own and pretty much wrote itself away from my original idea. And on and on it went for about five pages, until I simply had to put my foot down. But I did concede it one final victory, in the form of that question mark in "the end". (because really…how could DV shippiness actually end?)**

**As always, please send me your thoughts on this chapter! **

**Myosotis**


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter III: **

**Guises and Guesses**

Funny how the convoluted Asgard records were making sense all of a sudden.

Shaking his head in quiet amazement, Daniel pursed his lips to contain what he suspected would have been a Cheshire grin. As his finger idly traced circles over the manuscript of a half-finished translation, he wondered if he had gone completely crazy. Probably. But it had been worth it, _oh_, had it _ever_!

"Hey Jackson." Mitchell appeared in the doorframe, wearing an enthusiastic expression. "Come on, we've got a mission. Debriefing in ten minutes."

Daniel took a second to sympathize with the colonel's excitement; he could well imagine how the week of virtual on-base confinement must have felt for the man. Briefly, he wondered how Mitchell had reacted to being trapped all those years on the _Odyssey_, and imagined it must have been pretty bad. Still, he'd had better things to focus on than the colonel's cabin fever then, and he definitely had better things to focus on now.

"Listen," Mitchell took a few steps inside the office, stopping right by the desk and giving Daniel a cautious look. "Much as I have been _praying_ for a new mission," he started, "I'm not going to take my team on it unless I'm sure they can _function_ properly. I don't want things going wrong because of screwed up dynamics."

"You've had two aliens, a civilian and someone equal in rank on your team for two years and _now_ you worry about dynamics?" Daniel quipped with a mockingly incredulous look, and Mitchell gave a lopsided nod.

"Good point. Still…you know what I mean. If you and Vala have unresolved issues…"

"Oh. _That_…" the archaeologist deadpanned, thoroughly unsurprised.

"Yeah, if that's going to be a problem—"

"Ohh…nope. Not really. No problem," Daniel quickly replied in a sing-song voice, and was very unhappy to notice Mitchell roll his eyes.

"Are you _sure_ you two can play nice?"

Daniel loudly cleared his throat.

"Mmhmm."

"Alright, Jackson…" the colonel accepted, "then come on, the General is waiting to fill us in on the details." As the archaeologist stood up from the desk, Mitchell noticed him wince ever-so-slightly, as though nursing some unseen bruises. On a closer look, he noticed a slight discoloration forming on the man's arm. "What the hell _happened_ to you?"

"Hmm. Intense sparring session."

As the wheels started spinning in his head, Mitchell gave the other a long look. He had an inkling the 'intense sparring session' was closely related to their previous topic of discussion. (_how_ closely, he preferred not to know, really) A barely visible smirk came to his lips, but he knew better than to make any comments that might send Jackson spiraling back into the land of denial.

"Okay, than maybe I was asking the wrong question earlier. Should I be worried that half my team is _disabled_?"

Consideration aside, he couldn't be expected to _entirely_ miss the opportunity.

Mitchell had half-expected a dissatisfied glare from the archaeologist, or maybe a snarky retort, so he was almost shocked when the man simply offered a cryptic grimace and a pursed-lips grin, and wordlessly headed out the door. With a small shrug and a bemused shake of his head, the colonel followed, thinking it must have been a _really_ intense sparring session to dull Jackson's usual snippiness. His common sense then cut off that train of thought before it could lead to any further speculation.

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

As soon as she saw Vala come into the briefing room, Sam directed a discreet gaze of concern to her. For the past week, she'd tried to talk to the woman on repeated occasions, yet each time Vala would subtly but definitely thwart any attempt to discuss _the_ memory. Not entirely sure where the line between friendly concern and invasion of privacy lay for the other, Sam had half-heartedly given up. She would have been a lot more confident talking to Daniel, but he had, gently yet equally clearly, shut her out. And between recalibrating most of the SGC systems, interpreting the knowledge that Teal'c's memory had revealed of the Asgard core and still trying to come to terms with the _other_ memory herself, she simply hadn't discovered any effective way to be of any help to either Daniel or Vala. They had continued to glare and fume and sulk, and frankly, Sam wasn't all that sure that going on a mission was the best idea, under the circumstances.

With those thoughts in mind, she was deeply surprised to notice Vala was not, in fact, fuming _or_ glaring _or_ sulking. In fact, if Sam had had to choose a word, she would have picked 'glowing'.

"Hello," the brunette greeted with a cheerful grin, as she dropped in one of the chairs and promptly propped her elbows on the table. "So, what's this new mission about? It was about _time_ we went off world again!"

"Uh…yeah," Sam nodded, unsure of how to react to Vala's sudden mood shift. "I guess a long time on base _can_ get a little, eh, boring…"

"_Boring_!" the other's voice sounded amused and incredulous. "Who said it was boring?"

She opened her mouth to add something, but Teal'c entered the room at that precise moment. As she noticed the genuine beam that Vala directed at the Jaffa, the pieces began falling into place for Sam, and her mouth formed a silent _ohh_, before the colonel allowed herself a small, cautious smile. Reasonably sure that Daniel and Vala had worked things out, she felt immensely relieved; at the same time, a small part of her wondered exactly _where_ they stood with each other now, and she mentally frowned at her indiscretion. _That's none of your business_, the colonel in her admonished. _They are just friends_, the reason in her said. _Just check that grin_, the woman in her giggled. _That's ridiculous_, reason argued. _That's sweet_, her romantic heart sang. _That's _enough, the friend in her ended the debate. Wherever they stood, she hoped it would work out best for them. (and she'd figure it out soon, anyway, since none of them were famous for their poker faces, the woman in her got one last word in)

Daniel and Mitchell walked in, followed shortly by the General, and Sam indulged in one last, curious look in Daniel's direction, as he sat down in the chair beside Vala. The two exchanged a short glance, and, _oh ye gods_, was that a toothpaste-commercial grin the man was giving the beaming brunette?

"Alright, SG1," Landry started, "this is what your new mission is about."

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

"It's _alright_ to ask, you know, Sam."

The colonel felt a small blush creep to her cheeks and coughed, half-amused and half-uncomfortable.

"I'm just…glad…things are okay between the two of you, that's all."

Vala undid her jacket and opened her locker to take out the BDUs. The two of them were alone in the women's locker room, gearing up for the upcoming mission, and she could virtually _see_ the waves of reluctant curiosity coming from Sam.

"Do you think we grew really close on the Odyssey?" Sam hesitated for a second, unsure of the _we_ Vala was referring to, and the other woman caught up on it. "You and me, I mean. We _were_ the only women on the ship…think we became best friends?"

The blonde smiled.

"Yes, I can imagine we did."

Vala sat on the small wooden bench, giving Sam a curious look.

"I've never really had women friends…thieves and smugglers aren't exactly famous for their friendly nature", she joked, "and most of them are men, anyway. Well, for some species it's almost impossible to tell, really," she amended, and Sam laughed as she pulled on the BDUs.

"So tell me…" Vala cleared her throat, stood up and started changing as well "what kind of things are…okay…for friends to discuss?"

The other woman was genuinely amused—and somewhat wary, as she could very well imagine where _that_ conversation was going. She wondered if the locker room was the best place for a heart to heart, especially with off-world departure scheduled in about twenty minutes. On the other hand, she was only human. She couldn't bring herself to put off the discussion that Vala was just starting.

"I don't know…friends can talk about anythi—oh my _God_!" Her relaxed reply was cut off as Vala took of her jacket and, beneath the short tank top, Sam spotted a huge bruise taking up half her abdomen. "What _happened_?" she asked in shock, noticing, at the same time, a similar bruise on the woman's right arm.

"Erm." Vala grimaced. "Part of the healing process?" she ventured.

"_That_ doesn't look like _healing_ to me."

"Don't worry, it doesn't really hurt, and the gel the doctor gave us is really efficient!"

"_Us_?!" Sam frowned in confusion.

"Yeah, me and Daniel. Who else did you think gave me these?" Vala asked with a saucy wink, thoroughly enjoying the other's bewilderment.

Sam shook her head, trying to make sense of what she was hearing. On second thought, maybe she _couldn't_ imagine where that conversation was going. She shouldn't have been all that surprised, really. When it came to Vala and Daniel, things could rarely be predicted. And more often than not, they ended with numerous bruises. But then again, a smooth sea never made a skilled mariner.

"Okay, you lost me," she finally admitted. "This talk is not turning out like anything _I_ expected…"

Vala grinned, as she pulled on the BDU jacket, and as she opened her mouth again, Sam had the feeling _that_ story would take more than twenty minutes.

**A/N: You wanted to know the team's reactions—well, here is a little bit of what I think they'd look like! What do you think? **

**(Same as with last chapter, the story could end here, or…not end here. As it's been virtually writing itself, I'm not making any prognoses…) **

**As always, feedback is _very_ appreciated! Thanks to all of you wonderful people who review and let me know your opinions, I'm encouraged to write more and update faster (and not care about the midterm coming up in two days; but don't let concern for my educational well-being stop you from sending me your comments:D) **

**Until next time, then. **

**Myosotis**


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